Bedtime bad behaviour

You know what's going to happen when they go back home?

The parents will have to suffer through the same issues you are going through till the kids get used to it again.

Enjoy your time with them, they are there for such a short period of time!

GrandmaKT oh - you're in a different time zone if you're 250 miles away!! Bedtimes are different.

Hithere that reminded me!
www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DEE5BfL7ogP8&ved=2ahUKEwjgi5S5wLbyAhXFiVwKHX5zD1cQtwJ6BAgFEAI&usg=AOvVaw3XRCqUK6dvhfK6V678Spu4&cshid=1629150012531

I'd be tempted to do away with the rules whilst they stayed at my house - one of the perks of visiting Granny ! Those bed times are ridiculously early - it's still teatime !

Maybe the parents do this more for their benefit - not the kids ?

Divide and conquer GrandmaKT
Youngest child in bed first with one grandparent for a one to one chat about their day and a story.
Some calming background music?

Oldest downstairs having some quiet down time with other grandparent.
Avoiding tv noise that would distract the upstairs child .
Then story and bed for oldest child.

If the boy's share a bed then maybe put one child in your bed until in a deep sleep before transferring over to other bed .

The boy's may appreciate some one to one attention.

You have two problems here: one is the extraordinary bedtime routine the parents are attempting, and failing, to impose on their children, for which they may have good reasons. The second one is the children's disobedience and outright defiance. You are not going to be able to impose your discipline on them in two nights, and I can understand that you don't want to ban their visits,so I would suggest a complete reversal of home bedtime routine.

Continue with full-on activities during the daytime and into the evening well past bedtime: a walk in the dark, stargazing, an evening BBQ or picnic, or a film if bad weather, all aimed at tiring them out, then a quick shower and into bed; separate the bedtimes for the older and younger. Patrol the landing even if it means sitting outside their bedrooms, doors closed; neither allowed beyond the bedroom door for any reason whatsoever. Rinse and repeat.
This worked when we took parties of schoolchildren away; tire them out, late bedtime, no time for homesickness or merry japes.
You cannot be expected to maintain their home routine because it isn't working.

The home bedtime is ridiculously early, it’s probably intended to give the parents their own evening time, but isn’t working.

I would put them to bed later, and make it quite clear no messing about after that.

Be firm!

Dinner at 4.00pm, and getting ready for bed at 5.00pm ... really?! Most kids are barely home from school by 4.00pm, and enjoying a snack, before having some activity, playing with friends/in the garden/watching TV. They have dinner later, and maybe get ready for bed around 7.00-8.00 ... on a school night!
My 3yo GC has dinner around 6.00pm, bath at 7.00, and goes to bed around 7.30pm. I'm not surprised that your GC are so lively and don't want to go to bed so early. Do either of their parents work? Surely, if they do, they must hardly ever see their kids awake!

If you're taking care of your GC whilst mummy & daddy go away for a couple of days, make it easy on yourself ... make sure they have fun/activities/stories/cuddle up to watch a movie together with them, and let them go to bed later, when they're actually tired. Your house, your rules. Why put yourself through the stress? If mummy & daddy aren't happy with that, then that's up to them. It didn't do my kids any harm when they went to stay with their GPs, which they loved to do! I was happy to let GPs do their own thing, as they were doing me a favour which I greatly appreciated! The kids were usually so tired when they came home that it wasn't a problem getting them to go to bed at their usual bedtime, it never disrupted them. Although, I can imagine, if they were expected to get ready for bed at 5.00pm, it probably would, and I can't say I'm surprised!

A 5 o’clock bedtime routine is bonkers quite frankly. No wonder they won’t settle .
Starting to wind down 7ish would probably help , especially in the summer with light nights and no school in the morning.

You have had children OP would you have tried to put school age children to bed at 5 in the afternoon
Your title is perhaps incorrect the children are not badly behaved but forced into a ridiculous regime by the parents

Echoing what pretty much everyone has said, far too early to start bedtime !
I’d suggest much later start to bedtime routine and make it a less drawn out affair thereby giving everyone a break. Nearly two hours ?? Crazy. These children know they can drag it out now. Bath(or not) pyjamas teeth stories kisses, quiet.

I too find this quite ridiculous. What is the point when they are obviously not tired and then wind each other up ? Surely far better to extend their day than stand on guard in the hallway !
GD is 2 and bedtime is 7pm. the normal rituals begin at around 6.30 pm , bath, milk, story and goodnight.
I think you need to have a talk with their parents - surely they must see this is not working !

Far too early bedtime. My grandchildren 4,3 and just over two have tea around 5 to 5.30. then play out if nice and bath time around 7 and then a story. Usually in bed and asleep around 8. all sleep through till 7.30 in the morning. What time are these children up in the morning? I'm guessing they are up before the crack of dawn. Actually feel sorry for these children.

That is incredibly early for them to go to bed. I’m sure it’s been said already. I know myself, if I go up too early, I get restless and then can’t sleep. My oldest granddaughter is nearly 9, and is usually asleep by 8 ish, sometimes later. The younger grandchildren, so down to a year old, are 6.30 onwards. Who wants their dinner at 4pm? Sounds like the parents have been trying to get more ‘ them’ time in the evenings, and it’s backfired on them!

I would say you can’t carry on while they have this routine.

Fed too early and bed too early I am wondering if this actually happens in their own home.
It’s your home and it’s a few days let it be your rules that way the GC might relax and settle better.

Good heavens, we currently have Gdcs of 5 and 6 staying, and even after a physically very active day I don’t think of getting them to bed until about 8 - at least not in the school,holidays.

Yours just don’t sound tired enough IMO.
Ours share a double bed and drop off very quickly after bath and story, they will usually eat considerably later, too.

I would amend the bedtime to later. Say 7.30 or 8. Keep the bathtime, because that is their routine.

I'd also add in some warm milk and read more stories.

My grandson has to have about 5 stories, because with each one, he calms down a little more. By the last story, he is often cuddling up to me, half asleep already. The milk will also help them feel sleepy.

As others have said, I would split them up. Story time separately. AND someone on duty upstairs until they're asleep. If my DGS doesn't go to sleep straight away, knowing I'm in the room next to him keeps him in bed until he IS ready to sleep.

Gosh, they are ruling the roost. This sort of behaviour should have been nipped in the bud at the beginning, they know they can get away with it. They will be getting over excited, no wonder they don’t go to sleep. Maybe bedtime a little later would help but the parents need to stop the bedtime nonsense.

That's 2 pages full of the same advice, they are being sent to bed too early.
But you know that.
Do you think perhaps the parents are hoping you'll be able to retrain them in a few days?
I specialised in Early Years and our (out of date I admit) training was to not wind them up with boisterous games to tire them out before bedtime, but to calm them down with quiet reading or jigsaws, sitting together on the sofa watching a quiet (not hysterically funny or loud car-chases and such) dvd or TV programme. Keep your voices low and gentle, no tickling games or anything stimulating ....
But a good 2 hrs later than 6pm!

ps
I should add, snuggling under a duvet on that sofa watching TV also puts them in sleep mode, but strictly no giggley games with toes or suchlike. If they were girls, some gentle hair brushing would have helped.
They need a calm atmosphere.

Thats far too early imo.
No wonder they are playing up,personally i would keep them up until around 8pm and not tell the parents.

Yep here’s another one that agrees , it’s far far too early, mine used to go to bed 8.30 on school holidays and no bath before bedtime as it woke them up, and no TV for half an hour before bedtime.
You can’t live creeping around the house for 2 hours for heavens sake.
Keep them up, what they do at their parents is their choice
Granny’s house is Granny rules, especially when the rules are wrong for these particular children.

I agree with others this is very early for their age, quite possibly they are just not tired.

May be set a later bedtime but with a short quite time prior to actually going to bed. Then perhaps 2 stories and then let them look at books by themselves until they're ready to sleep.

If they were girls, some gentle hair brushing would have helped.
My DD always found it difficult to go t sleep but on hair wash nights, if I dried her hair gently with a warm hairdryer and brush, she'd zonk out!

Yes, calmness, stories.

Our grandchildren realize that the routine here may vary from when they are at home. Your grandchildren are being put to bed very early. Ours are aged 3 and 6. Youngest is in bed for about 6.30 eldest between 7 and 7 30. One story each - no negotiation about that ! They both sleep well. Perhaps asking your GC to practice their reading just before bed is too much pressure . Bathing together too can cause chaos , they don't need a bath every night . It does seem that they are simply not ready to sleep. A slightly later bedtime may help too. Along side that a firm attitude from parents making it very clear that they are not prepared to tolerate their behaviour any longer . You have every right to tell your GC and their parents that unless bedtime behaviour improves then their visits will stop. If the children laugh and don't believe you ,then call their bluff and refuse to have them over night . It seems such a shame when they behave so well during the day. Stick to your guns , you don't deserve this ! When their behaviour eventually improves the children will be happier. They are obviously able to behave during the day so a change is possible. My believe is that children of that age are able to understand that the rules at Grandma's differ from rules in their own home. Be firm with your son and daughter in law and their children. Go for it and good luck !!!!!

I would definitly keep them up a bit later and then supper, hot bath, story and bed. No messing around with running about they would have a stern talking to. Let them have a couple of books to look at while they drop off and a reward the next day with a treat they would enjoy for being good.